End standard for theater chairs



APril"7,'1942- 1.; JIRANEK" 2,278,355

END STANHKRD-FOR THEATER CHAIRS Filed July 8, 1940 IIIIIlIII Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNITED Y STATES LPATEQNT OFFICE Leo Jiranek, New York,..N., Y., assignor to Heywood-Wakefield Company, Gardner, Mass, a

corporation of Massachusetts Application July 8,1940, Serial No. 344,339

6 Claims. (or 240-4) This invention relates to improvements in end with an end standard for a theater chair emw ployed at one end of a row of chairs for providing a subdued illumination of the adjacent part of an aisle so that the lateral aisle, between adjacent rows of chairs,.may be distinguished by a patron entering the darkened auditorium of the theater.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an end standard structure of. this kind and wherein the light rays from a light source may be cast straight downwardly or toward the front or toward the rear of the 'standard,ras desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide an end standard structure includinga shade or hood so associated with the light housing or well that it may be turned about an axis to directthe light in a plurality of directions and generally in the vertical plane of the end standard.

A further object of the invention is to pro-,

vide an end standard structure including -a source of light and a shadeor hood for directing the light rays and which structure while simple to make and assemble, is easy to'adjust' and is efiicient for its intended purpose.

' Also,-it is an object of the invention to provide an end standard structure and a light ray controlling hood or shade therefor which does not unduly project from the body of the standard and therefore will not cause a patron to bump against the samewith'probable injury while walking in the adjacent aisle.

The above mentioned objects of the invention as well as others, together'with the advantages thereof will more fully tion proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of an end standard for a theater chair embodying the pre-.

ferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the end standard, on an enlarged scale, as taken.

appear as the specificaa Afr \ ing 16.

indicates the upright body of the end, standard as a whole and which is provided at it front and rear margins with curved finishing strips II and I2 respectively. At the top of the body p; is an arm rest IS. The bottom ends of the finishing strips II and 12 are provided with feet l4 whereby the standard may be attached to a floor which is indicated by the line 15.

The body ll] of the standard is preferably made from a suitable piece of sheet metal. A rectangular opening I6 is formed in the bottom end portion of the body It! midway between the finishing strips II and [2. A circular plate Illa is suitably fixed to the outer face of the body In about the opening l6 and the edge of this plate forms an annular shoulder, the purpose of which will appear later. A light receiving housing or well I! (see Fig. 2) is so disposed upon the inner face of the body as to cover said open- The housing or well is provided with lateral flanges I8l8 and in said flanges are openings l9 that register with sets of openings 2020 in both the body [0 and circular plate Illa respectively. A bracket 2| is fixed to one of the walls of the housing or well so as to support a socket 22 that receives an electric light 23. I

24 indicates a hood or shade for covering the opening I6 from the outer face of the body H].

G; This hood or shade, which is circular in shape,

has an outside diameter large enough to cover the openings 20 in and the plate icon the body II]. It includes a rim with an annular flange portion 25, adapted to fit upon the annular shoulder as provided by the-edge of the plate Illa, a radial flange portion 26 and a concavoconvex central portion 21. Apart of the central portion 21 is removed to provide a light escape opening 28 which-is disposed to face down- ,wardly when the hood or shade is in operative position upon the body l0.

The hood or shade 21 is provided on the inside of its marginal portion with a pair of opposed bosses 29 adapted to engage flatwise on I the plate Illa. In each boss is a threaded opening 30 and said openings'are disposed on the circle of the openings 20 in the body ID of the end standard and in the plate ma thereon so as to register therewith.

To assemble the parts described, the hood or shade 24 is placed upon the outer face of the body In with its annular-flange 25' inbearing engagement on the shoulder as provided by the edge of the circular plate Illa and with the inner face of the lugs 30 engaged with the face of said plate Illa. This positions the hood or shade 24 with respect to the opening I5 and in a manner whereby said hood or shade may be turned about its axis. With the bracket 2|, socket 22 and bulb 23 arranged in operative relation in the housing H, the latter is positioned against the inner face of the body ll! so that certain openings 19 in its flanges l8 register with certain openings 20 in the body It and plate Illa respectively. Screws 3| are then inserted through said registering openings I9 and 20 and are threaded into the openings 30 in the bosses 29 of the hood or shade 24, which has been turned about its axis to register the holes 30 in the lugs 29, with said screws 3!. securely hold both the housing or well and the hood or shade in operative position upon the inner and outer faces respectively of the body Hi.

When the lamp 23 is burning, its rays are directed downwardly through the opening 28' in the hood or shade. in the hood or shade faces straight downwardly as appears in full lines in Fig. 1. However, by removing the screws from the openings 30 in the hood or shade, the shade may be turned about the edge of the plate liia as a bearing into a position whereby the opening 28 is disposed to direct the light from the lamp 23 downwardly and slightly forwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

When the hood or shade is disposed in the new position, the screws 3| are tightened up to hold the shade or hood in the newly adjusted position.

Obviously the parts may also be adjusted so that the light will be directed slightly in a rearward direction. The dash, double dot position I (Fig. 4) illustrates the position of the parts for such action.

It is pointed out that instead of the two sets of openings 20 being formed in the body In, arcuate slots may be substituted therefor.

The improved end standard as described issimple in construction for economical production, is easily adjusted and is efiicient for its intended purpose.

While in describing the invention, I have re f-erred in detail to the form, arrangement and construction of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only in the illustrative sense so that I do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein an upright body portion having an opening therein, means providing a housing mounted on one face of said body portion and opening at one end through said opening to the other face of said body portion, a source of light disposed in and carried by said housing, a shade mounted on said other face of said body portion and covering said end of said housing opening therethrough, said shade having an eccentrically positioned opening therein for the passage of light therethrough, and means accessible from the first mentioned face of the body portion for attaching said housing and said shade to said body portion, said means being operable so that said shade may be turned about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of said body portion to arrange said opening therein in different angular positions about said axls.

By tightening said screws, they.

Ordinarily the opening 28' 2. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein an upright body portion having an opening therethrough, means providing a housing on one face of said body portion to the rear of said opening, a source'of light disposed in said housing, a circular shade on the other face of said body portion and covering the opening therein and having a circular flange part and a central part provided with an eccentrically positioned opening therein for the passage of light therethrough, means on said other face of said body portion enclosed by and upon which said flange. partis engaged, and means for attaching said circular flange part and said housing to said body portion, said means being capable of being manipulated from said one face of said body portion so that said shade may be turned about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said body portion to arrange the eccentrically positioned opening in the shade in different angular positions about said axis.

3. An end standard for a. theater chair or the.

like embodying therein an upright body portion having an opening therein, 'a casing on' one face. of said body portion about said opening and having flanges extending beyond said opening and engaged withsaid one face of said body portion, a shade on the other face of said body portion and covering said opening and having a circular margin engaged with and covering an annular shoulder on said other face about said opening, and also formed with an eccentrically positioned opening for the passage of light therethrough, and screws passing through said housing flange and said body portion and hav ing threaded engagement in said circular margin of said shade for securing the said parts together other face of said body portion and covering said" opening and having an eccentrically positioned opening therein for the passage of light therethrough, and means for attaching said housing and said shade to said upright body portion, said attaching means being capable of manipulation to permit a turning of the shade about its axis into different angular positions.

5. An end standard for a theater chair or the like embodying therein an upright body portion having an opening therein, an annular shoulder on the outer face of said body portion about said opening, a housing on the inner face of said body portion having an open front communicating with the opening in said body portion and enclosing a source of, light, ashade on the outer face of said body portion and covering said opening and having an eccentrically positioned, opening therein for the passage of light therethrough, said shade having an annularflange enclosing and journalled on said shoulder so as to beturn-I able adjustable therein and means for attaching said housing and said shade to said body portion,

said attaching means being capable-of manipu lation to permit 'a. turning of the shade about the axis oflsaid shoulder and said flange into said shade having an annular flange-like portion engaged with and journalled on said shoulder, a light receiving housing on the other face of the body portion and having an open front communicating with the opening in said body portion and screws passing through parts of said housing and through certain of said smaller openings in said body portion and into parts of said shade for securing said housing and said shade to said body portion and for disposing said opening in said shade in the desired angular position.

LEO JIRANEK. 

